Michigan State on letdown alert
No. 9 Wake Forest (8-0) at North Carolina (4-4)
Noon Saturday, ABC
A victory over North Carolina would give Wake Forest, just insde the top 10 of the first College Football Playoff rankings, nine wins for the third time in program history and the first since 2007. Because of a scheduling quirk, this game is the second of a home-and-home nonconference series between the two ACC schools. Quarterbacks Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) and Sam Howell (UNC) rank third and fourth in the ACC in passing yards per game. Hartman has passed for 300-plus yards in four straight games and 400-plus in the last two starts. Howell needs 239 yards to become the school’s career leader in total offense.
No. 3 Michigan State (8-0) at Purdue (5-3) 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Purdue already upset Iowa, ranked No. 2 in the AP poll at the time, and a win over Michigan State would not only snap an eight-game losing streak to the Spartans but also make the Boilermakers bowl-eligible for the first time since 2018. Michigan State could improve to 9-0 for the first time since 1966, the last time the Spartans won the national championship. MSU tailback Kenneth Walker III leads the country in rushing yards per game (149.25), which is the second-highest average by a Spartans running back in a season since Lorenzo White (172.2) in 1985.
No. 13 Auburn (6-2) at No. 14 Texas A&M (6-2) 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Auburn controls its path in the SEC with upcoming games against Texas A&M and Alabama (Nov. 27). Win out and the Tigers can book a trip to Atlanta and a spot in the SEC championship game. Texas A&M, meanwhile, needs to win out and hope Alabama loses to either LSU, Arkansas or Auburn to earn a spot in the league title game. Outside of Georgia, these two teams are the stingiest defenses in the SEC. A&M is allowing 16 points per game, while Auburn is allowing just under 20 (19.8).
LSU (4-4) at No. 2 Alabama (7-1) 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Alabama enters the final month seeking its second straight SEC West title and its third in the last four years. The Crimson Tide have won nine of the last 10 meetings in this series with the last loss coming in LSU’s 2019 national championship season. LSU coach Ed Orgeron is winding down his career with the Tigers after reaching an agreement to leave the program at the season’s end. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young continues his torrid start, completing 70% of his passes for 2,453 yards and 26 touchdowns.
No. 4 Oregon (7-1) at Washington (4-4) 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Oregon has won 14 of the last 16 games in this Pac-12 North series, including the last two meetings. COVID-19 protocols canceled last season’s game. Washington is hoping to avoid losing to Oregon and Oregon State in the same season for the first time since 2011. Verone McKinley III (four) and Bennett Williams (three) have combined for nearly half of the Ducks’ 16 interceptions. The Huskies are the only team in the country that has scored on every red-zone opportunity (15 TDs, nine field goals in 24 attempts).
Other Top 25 games of note No. 5 Ohio State (7-1) at Nebraska (3-6):
The Buckeyes have won six straight meetings by an average of 35 points, with just one game being decided by fewer than 25. Indiana (2-6) at No. 7 Michigan (7-1): The Hoosiers snapped a 24-game losing streak to the Wolverines last season, but have come crashing down in 2021. Tennessee (4-4) at No. 18 Kentucky (6-2): Wildcats have a chance to secure a New Year’s Six bowl bid if they win out.